Brick mold



plil-29, 1930' v .J A. cROwELl.' 1,756,146

BRICK MLD Filed Jan. 24, 192.59 2 sheets-sheet 1 1 711/6 wie?? `lllil 29,` 1930. J A, CROWELL 41,756,146

l BRICK MoLD Filed Jan. 24, 1929 2 sheets-Sheet 2 Patented-` Apr. 29, 1930 `lUNITED STATESI PATENT OFFICE J. AnDIsON OROWEILL, OF WALLKILL, NEW YORK, AssmNoR To JAMES B. OROWELL & soN, or WALLKILL, NRW YORK, A CORPORATION or NEW YORK BRICK 1YIOZIL'II) Application led Januar-5124, `1929. -Serial No. 334,672.

The present invention relates to molds, and

more particularly to a novel and improved mold --for use in the manufacture of brick by the soft mud process, wherein the clay ma- 5 terial is forced through a'die into a set of molds, the present invention being an improvement on the mold illustrated, described and claimed in my prior and copendin application Serial Number 318,332, filed ctobei 18, 1928. I i

. An important feature .of the present invention is the provision of means to strengthen, reinforce, and add to the wear" of brick molds. Broadly considered, this feal ture consists in the applicationlto a brick mold, and particularly' along the bottom thereof,lof a metallic reinforcing strap of -considerable thickness. Said strap is preferably laid ina dado running longitudinally of 2o the backs or panels of a brick mold so that the reinforcing strap will be flush with the bottom panels of said mold. The preferred position of said' strap is along the central bottom of the mold, and I preferably utilize but a single strap, although it will be appreciated that I may vary thisby utilizing more than one strap if desired and suitably spacing said straps one from the other.

This metallic reinforcing and strengthen- 3o ing strapwill take up the strains whenmy novel molds are utilized in automatic brick machines, or h and operations of beating or bumping the bottoms of the mold to knock out the formed clay.

A further object ofthe invention resides in the fastening or securing Of said strap to each back or panel in such a manner as to not interfere with the swelling and contraction ofthe wood of which the backs are formed.

40 Another and important feature ofthe present invention resides in 'so constructing my novel mold that the partitions will not rest on or be supported by the mold bottoms or panels. This is an important feature, as it will relieve the panels of considerable of the strain andwear to which they have been heretofore subjected, and will substantially eliminate all likelihood ofsplitting of said panels due to the jars, blows, hammerings or bump- IThese blocks will extend fiush with the bottoms of the panels and-will be dadoed to re- -ceive said reinforcing straps, which may or may not be secured lto said blocks.

These blocks, positioned between the panels may be separate from the partitions and secured thereto in any desirable way, or they may be -an integral part of the partition but, when made an integral part of the'partition, will still be of less length and width than the length and width of the partitions. I

By constructing these blocks slightly scant of the space between panels, ample provision is made for swelling, Or give and take of the wood of the panels during the alternate wettings and dryings to which they are subj ected.

By thus bringing the partitions into con tact with the reinforcing strap on the mold bottom, either through the medium of the separate blocks or the blocks when formed integral with the partitions, considerable of the strains and stresses will be taken 'u by the partitions themselves, thus reducing the strain and Wear on the panels and still further lessening the likelihood of splitting of the said panels.

A brick mold constructed according to the above brief description ,will successfully Withstand the bumpings and ars of any .soft mud l brick machine.

Afurther feature of the invention, and one by which the mold is considerably strengthenedand reinforced, consists in providin on each upper surface of the thickened en s of the mold, a metallic plate, and in extending the reinforcing strap up over the ends of the and under said plates, -dadoing or mortising said strap into the blocks at the ends of the-"mold so that the said'metallic plates may7 seat flush on said ends.

fj still further feature of the invention resides-in providing, in the bottom panels, a plurality of cut-out portions, preferably on each side' ad'acent to each corner. Thus when the mol 'is assembled, the normal sides or edges of the panel will be flush .with the bottom edges of the partitions, and the cut-out portions referred to will insure ample vent o enings. These openings, furthermo're, are

ared downwardly, thus insuring against clogging'of the vents This mold, therefore, will produce no fins or feathers on the brick constructed therein, these vents permitting the air to beforced out of the mold as the clay is forced' in, and vwill permit the clay, in its plastic state, to flow fully into and completelyiill the mold, particularly at the ends, corners andsides of the bottom. Furthermore,

l ormation of the brick manufactured therein,

' when the moldsare inverted to dump the.

brick therefrom,.these vents will permit the entrance of air therethrough to facilitate in.

releasing the grip of the brickin the molds.

novel mold is strong, durable and rugged, and enables the use of relatively stlir' clay therein, the resulting brick made from said stiff clay' standing up better, drying quicker, and rning more uniformly, thus improving the entire manufacture of the brick from pug mill to kiln.

Furthermore, my novel moldfprevents defand said mold, because of its strong and rugi. ged construction, will stand up in service bet'- ter and longer than previous molds, thus re-V sulting in an economyto brick manufacturers, as prior brick molds must befre uently replaced, due to the. harsh treatment t ey re ceive during the processes of brick manufacture. The mold of the present invention is especially constructed to withstand this harsh treatment, and to stand up lnder the blows, jars, bumps, shocks and hammerings received, for a considerable period of time without repair or replacement.

Il believe that the -mold of the present 'application, above described, is novel, and

have therefore claimed the samelbroadlyin y The above and other tion, details of constructiomcombinations of the present application.

parts.. and-advantages, will be hereinafter more fully pointed out, described and claimed, Referring to the drawings, illustrating preferredembodiments of the present invention y l' l .Y

Fig. 1k is a top plan 'view form of'mold;

is aside elevation of tratedin Fig; 1;

ofthe preferred the mold illus;`

strap features the inyem Fig. 3 is a fragmentary bottom plan View of the mold of Fiv's. 1 and 2;

' Fig. 1 is a fa'gmentary longitudinal sec-- tional view on the line 4- A of Fig. 1;

Fig; 5'is across-sectional view, partly broken away, on theline 5 5 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of one of the -bottompanels, illustrating the cut-outs for the .vents and the'dado forthe reinforcing Fig. 7 is-a perspective view of one of the blocks interposed between the bottom panels, when utilized' as a separate unit Fie- 8 is a perspectiveview of the partition. and lock as a unit; I

Fig. 9 is a fragmentary top plan view of my invention of`reinforcing strap applied to a. modified type of mold;

Fig. 10 is fa side elevation of the mold of Fig. 9;

.85 Fig. 11 isa cross-sectional View on the llne Fig. 16 is a side elevation, partlyy`v`l broken i away, of themold illustrated in Fig. 15.

' It will vbe appreciated that thebrick molds carrying out my invention maybe of any u suitableor desired sizeor num I The invention may be embodied equally in a hand sized mold forforming one, two or more brick for hand dumping, handling and use, or in the present .molds of six, seven,

eight brick or more, fon use inthe modern high speed or automatic brick; machines and presses, v

Referring now to the drawings, for a particular description of my inventiomlfhave illustrated a seven brick mold, this being for illustrative purposes only, as will'be readily I understood. lThe mold illustrated isof the type utilized in the modernhigh speed or socalled automatic brick makin machines, said mold comprising the end bloc ls 1 and 2, sides 3, 3, partitions 4, 4,"and bottom or back panels 5, 5. These ortions are constructed. of wood, and are ovetailed together, fastened in various ways and usually boundwith block 7 preferably also of 'wood,lsaid blocks,

`as clearly illustrated in Fig. .3, being of less llength and width than the partitions 4. The w blocks 7 may be constructed as separate units,

as illustrated in Fig. 7, in which instancethey would be preferably provided 'with apertures rizof brick.'-

Beneath' @een partisanes' 'posiekmd a '125 8, 8, through which screws 9 or other retain-v ingdevices may be inserted to secure the blocks 7 to the bottoms of the partitions 4.

panels Each of the panels 5 is provided with a dado 10, and'each of theblocks 7 is provided vwith a dado 11 alined with the dadoes 10.

These dadoes arepreferably in the middle of each panel and block, and form a more or less continuous groove or dado longitudinally of the center of the bottom of the mold. Laid 'in this dado and extending longitudinally of the panels 5 and blocks 7. In the-preferredv f form of the'invention the strap 12 is continued over the ends of the mold, being dadoed in the end blocks land 2 and extending over the tops of the blocks 1 and 2, where it is also dadoed, as illustrated in Fig.' 4. A

metallic plate 15 is secured over-the end blocks 1 and 2 and the end partition 4, and each end of the strap 12 is concealed under and protected by said plates 15, thus firmly anchoring'said strap in place and eliminating any roughness, corners or edges due to exposed ends of the strap 12.

The construction of my mold with this reinforcing strap 12 results ina 4rugged durable -mold, one possessed of great strength and wearability, and which will withstand the blows, beatings and hammerings to which such molds are subjected, the strap 12 receiving much of the wear and strains which have been hitherto imparted to and borne by the wood of the panels of the mold.

The top of each partition 4 is also preferably provided with a metallic strap 16 suitably secured to said partitions, as by screws 17. If desired, rather than -utilizing separate blocks 7. as illustrated in Fig. 7, I may form the partitions 4 withintegral depending portions 18 which would be of less length-and width than the partitions 4, and which portions 18 would be provided with a dado 19 similar to the dado 11 in the block 7, the portions 18 performing the same functions as do the blocks 7.

In the preferred form of brick mold, the panels 5 are of the same width as the width of each individual brick mold, soetliat the edges 2 0 of said panels will normally be .blows or beatings, to insure against splitting of the said panels, a difficulty and condition which has been prevalent with prior types of brick molds. Also, the fact that the partitions 4, either directly or through the medium of the blocks 7, are in contact with thestrap 12, will permit said partitions to absorb a portion of the strains and' blows imparted to the bottom of the mold, and thus relieve the panels. to that extent.

In the panels 5 and at the edges thereof, I provide a plurality of recesses 23,. preferably beveled or flared outwardly or downwardly, the same being also in balanced relation, and of suitable length to cooperate with the bottom edges of the partitions 4, when assembled, to afford a full vent effect with its consequent advantages and benefits in the resulting brick.

It will be appreciated that I am not limited to the number of recesses 23 illustrated, but may provide the panels -5 with any desired number thereof, commensurate withl the qualities and characteristics of the clays utilized. Also, the size or proportions of the recesses 23 may be suitably varied for different types of clays. vents, the clay is enabled to fully enter all parts of the mold. the vents permitting the discharge of air from the edges and corners of said'molds, and Said vents also cooperating to facilitate the dumping of the bricks from the mold, by permitting the entrance of air through the vents to the bottoms of 'the brick as they are dumped.

In Figs. 9, 10 and 11, I have illustrated my feature of reinforcing and strengthening strap appliedto a modified type of mold, wherein the panels 26 are free of contact with the 'partitions 27, thus providing slots or vents 28 extending the full length of each individual mold section. In this form of mold there is no connection or contact between the partitions 27 and the strap 29, said strap being laid in dadoes 3() formed in the central bottom of each panel 26. The ends of the strap 29 are brought up over the ends of this mold and concealed under and protected by a metal plate 31, similar to the plate 15.

In Figs. 12, 13 and 14, I have illustrated the feature of the reinforcing strap applied to a still further modified type of mold, wherein the partitions 32 rest directly on panels 33, separate panels 34 being provided By the use of these covering the majorportion of the bottom of cach individual and -being spaced from the panels 33, wherebyslots or vents 35 are pro'- vided, spaced from the partitions 32 and extending the full length of each' individual mold. l

The reinforcing and strengthening. strap'.

`36. isdadoed in-grooves 37 in each 'panel 33 'and 34, and said strap extending over the endsf'of the mold and being concealed under and protected by metallic plates' 38 covering the end blocks 39 and 40 and end partition 32.

-In Figs. and V16 I have illustrated a still,

further modification of mold having my invention -of reinforcing and strengthening strap applied thereto. In this type of mold the edges of tliepanels 41 extend under the partitions 42 .while stillleaving space or clearance between the adjacent sides of saidpanels to allow for giveand take. Each panel 41 is provided with vents or slots 43.

Dadoed in the bottomof each panel 41 is a reinforcing and strengthening strap 44, the ends of which are brought up over the ends of the mold,`being dadoed therein, and being concealed under and -protected by a metallic plate 45 which covers the end block 46, this end block also functioning as partition fory the end brick mold@ The features, advantages, utility and etticiency of my novel molds will instantly appeal to those skilled in the art, and because of their rugged, strong construction, particularly the. reinforcing strap or straps, will give etlicient and long service without need for repair or replacement. 'l

' While I have necessarily described my present invention somewhat in detail, it will be lappreciated that I am not limited thereto, butw may vary the size, shape and arrangement of 'arts within reasonably wide limits without eparting from the spirit of the invention.

It will alsobe appreciated that instead of f utilizing one central longitudinal reinforcing strap, similar to the strap 12, I may utilize more than one of said straps, if desired, suitably spacing thesame onefrom the other, but I iind that the single central reinforcing strap functions very efficiently and results in a very rugged,durable mold.

My invention is further described and de# tined'in the form of claims as follows:

1. In a brick mold,'a plurality of bottom panels, a plurality of partitions, a block of less length and width than said partitions positioned between each pair of panels, each of said panels and blocks having a dado intermediate their ends, and a metallic reinforcing strap in said dadoes, flush with the bottoms ofsai'd panels and blocks and extending longitudinally of -said mold.

' 2. In a .brick-mold, aplurality of bottom panels, a plurality' of partitions, ai block of less length and width than said partitions positioned between each pair ofpanels and scant of the space between said panels, each of said panels and blocks having a dado intermediate their .-ends, and a metallic reinforcing strap in said dadoes, flush with the flush with vthe bottoms of said vpanels and blocks. and extending longitudinally ofjsaid mold.

4. In a brick mold, a plurality of bottom panels, a plurality of partitions, and a block lof less length and width ,than said partitions positioned between each pair of panels.

5. In abrick mold, a plurality of bottom panels, a plurality of partitions, and a block of less length and width than said partitions positioned between eachpai'r of panels and scant of the space between said panels.

6. In a brick mold, a ,plurality of bottom panels, a plurality of partitions, a block of' less length andy width than said partitions positioned between each pair of panels each of said panels and blocks having a da o intermediate lits ends, a reinforcing -strap in said dadoes flush with the bottomsof said panels and blocks, and va metallic plate at leach end of the Atop of said mold, said strap extending over the ends of said 'moldand the ends of said strap being concealed under and protected by said plates.

7. In a brick mold, a plurality of bottom panels, a plurality of partitions, a block of less length and 4width thanl said partitionspositioned between each pair of-panels and scant of the space therebetween, each of said Ipanels and blocks having a dado intermediate its ends, a reinforcing str ap in said dadoes flush with the bottoms of said panels and blocks, and a metallic late at each end of the ,top of said'mold, said) vstrap extending over the ends of saidm'old-and the endsfof said strap being concealed under and protected 'by said plates. f t 8. In a brick mold, a plurality of bottom panels, a plurality of partitions, certain of said partitions having a dependin portion of less lengthand width thanv sai Veach of said depending portions being'positioned between a pair of panels.

9. In a. brick mold, a plurality of bottom panels, a'plurality of partitions,certain. of said partitions having a depending portion of less length and width than said partition, each of said depending portions being positioned partition,

between a ,pair of panels and scant of the space therebetween. v

10. In a brick mold, a plurality of bottom panels, a 'plurality of partitions, certain of said partitions hating a dependin portion of less length and width than sai partition, each of said depending portions being positioned between a pair of. panels, the upper side edges' of 'said panels being normally iushwith the normal bottom edges of said partitions.

11. In a brick mold, a plurality of bottom "pa-nels, a plurality of partitions, certain of saidv artitions having a depending portion of less ength and width than said partition, each of said depending portions being positioned between a pair of panels and scant of the space therebetween, the upper side edges of .said panels being normally ilush with the.

normal bottom edges of said partitions.

In testimony whereof,v I have signed my name to this specification. y

J. ADDISON C ROWELL. 

